Final Destination 4: Temetis Messor
by mainframe56
Summary: While on a school trip, Drew has a terrible premonition that the bus they're on will crash and kill them all. She convinces some of her friends to get off the bus, and in doing so, saves their lives. But the Grim Reaper has other ideas...
1. Amateur Photography

**Final Destination 4: Temetis Messor **

**1: Amateur Photography**

"No! Don't use the flash!"

There was a blinding flash.

Drew slipped and fell backwards…

"Got you!" Strong hands were around her. She was no longer falling. She opened her eyes.

Brett was still holding the camera, grinning at her. "You'll need to watch your step, Drew. Or you'll have an accident one of these days!"

"You're such a jerk sometimes, Brett. You know she's got sensitive eyes. Give her the camera."

Drew knew that voice. She turned around, and saw that her rescuer was her boyfriend, Casper. He examined her critically. "You all right?"

She nodded. It was really stupid of her, but then, she had always been clumsy. She looked behind her. To her mortification, she saw that she had nearly fallen into the fountain. Luckily, no one had seen.

Brett tossed the camera to Casper. Brett was Casper's best friend, although he could sometimes be a bit of a prick. He beamed, then said, "I think I'll go and annoy Alexa now." He scampered off.

"Alexa won't like that," observed Casper, handing the camera to Drew. She pressed the button to bring up the photos, and saw, to her horror, that Brett had captured the moment of her falling backwards. She would delete it later.

"Why did you bring that thing anyway?" Casper asked.

"I keep telling you," Drew replied, "I want a shot of everyone before we break up for summer. Which, in case you didn't know," here she knocked on his head, "is in two weeks."

Casper laughed. "Okay, baby. I gotcha."

Drew raised the camera hopefully. "Can I take one of you and Brett together? I've got plenty of the two of us, and just you, but none of you and the Jerk together."

Grinning, Casper nodded. "Okay. I'll go find him."

Drew smiled. She didn't really dislike Brett, and Casper knew it. She wandered off to find some other people to photograph.

* * *

Drew had wondered what would be the best way to go around getting the pictures. She didn't want them in a school setting, but at the same time, it was difficult chasing each one individually. 

So this school trip was ideal. They had spent two hours in a boring museum, but now they had an hour and a half to hang around the big shopping centre before the bus picked them up. The large fountain – the one she had nearly fallen into – was the centrepiece of the building. There were two floors, and lots and lots of shops!

* * *

She found Jerry first. Jerry was one of the cool guys in her class, mainly because he had a gun. It was a small handgun, but he was a lethal shot with it. This made him very popular with everyone. 

So it was no surprise to find him in the video arcade. He was demonstrating his expertise by blasting the living hell out of everything with a lightgun.

There was no one else around. "Want to be shot first?" asked Drew. Jerry jumped, and spun around, brandishing the fake gun.

"What?" he demanded. Then he saw her holding the camera. "Oh, right. Go on then." He pulled a stupid face, and held the gun to his head, as though he was committing suicide. Drew clicked the camera.

"Okay, thanks, Jerry."

Jerry grinned at her. "Want a go?" he said, offering the gun to her. She smiled, and shook her head.

* * *

"Come on, you have to admit the first one was way better." 

"No way, man. The second one."

"No! I'm telling you…!"

Drew cleared her throat. The two guys looked at her.

"Oh, hey Drew," said Sam, seeing her.

"We were just discussing movies," added Danny, the other half of the twosome.

Drew rolled her eyes. "You guys never talk about anything else," she pointed out.

They nodded. "Uh-huh," said Danny. "So what do you think?"

"About what?"

Sam interjected at this point. "We're discussing which movie is better – Terminator one or two."

"It's the first one!" demanded Danny. "It's soooo much better with Arnie as the bad guy."

"But you have to admit that the liquid metal terminator in the second one was way cool."

"Yeah," admitted Danny. "But not as good as the first one! Drew, what do you think?"

"You guys always ask me for my opinion. I'm not really into movies, you know?" Drew raised the camera. "But while I'm here, how about a photo?"

They looked at each other. "Alright," said Sam, with an exaggerated sigh. "But it'll cost you."

"How much?"

"How about a quick kiss?" Sam looked hopeful.

Drew shook her head.

"Hey, I know!" Danny said, brightly. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen, why?" Drew was confused.

"Well, then, we could…" Danny leant over to her ear and whispered something. Drew smiled at him. And then she punched him in the face.

Drew smiled, and said, "Do that again, and I'll remove your face permanently." Sam laughed. Drew turned to him. "And as for you… you can just drop dead!" She brandished her fists at them.

Sam and Danny obediently went over to the wall, and posed for the camera. Drew got her second photo.

* * *

As she was leaving DVD shop, Seb suddenly materialised on the over side of the shop's front window. Drew gasped as he pressed his face up against the glass, but quickly brought the camera up and took a picture. Then she went out to meet him. 

"Hi, _Sebastian_," she said.

"Don't call me that," replied Seb. "Only my parents call me that."

"Don't scare me like that," countered Drew.

"You scare too easily," laughed Seb. "Anyway, I want you to delete that snap of me."

"No, I think you look rather good in it," said Drew. "Now go to hell." She wandered away, leaving Seb looking sheepish.

* * *

Drew caught up with Casper and Brett in, of all places, Eternal Sleep – a store that sold beds. They were, despite being technically young adults, bouncing on one of the beds. 

"Come on and join in!" yelled Casper.

Drew smiled, and said, "No thanks."

Brett laughed, and slapped Casper on the back. "You'll get her into bed yet!"

Casper made as if to hit Brett. Drew decided to take the picture before things got out of hand. She turned to leave, then asked Brett, "Did you see Alexa?"

"Yeah," said Brett, grinning impishly. "She was going into the music store. I think she's pretty pissed."

"What, at you?"

"No," he replied conspiratorially, "I mean she's _pissed_. You know, a bit drunk."

"Uh-oh," said Drew, and hurried away.

As she was leaving. She heard Brett and Casper talking.

"Hey, there's a good idea! You could spike her drink! You'd definitely get her into bed then! You could invite me over for a bit of three-way action!"

"Brett, I swear, I am going to spike _you_."

Their laughter faded.

* * *

Sure enough, Alexa was in the music store. She was talking to Phoebe. 

Well, not exactly _talking_. More… making fun of.

Alexa Cole was a bitch.

"So, you still listen to records?" she asked Phoebe.

Drew approached quietly. If she could get a photo of Alexa taunting Phoebe… then maybe she could convince Seb to stop going out with her. It was having a bad effect on him.

"I like my record collection!" Phoebe was making a valiant attempt to defend herself. "It's very old and very valuable!"

Alexa had found a rack containing some old records. She picked one up. "John Denver," she commented. "_Rocky Mountain High_. Who the hell would have a record like this?"

"Put it down, Alexa. You might break it."

"No," said Alexa, smiling at her. "_You_ might break it! Heads up!"

With that, she suddenly threw the record to Phoebe, like a Frisbee. Drew saw her chance, and took a picture.

Alexa saw the flash. She glared at Drew, and marched off to the toilets. Drew looked back at Phoebe.

"I caught it…" Phoebe mumbled. "I actually _caught_ it!"

"Right on," said Drew, distracted. She was looking at the photo she had taken. Alexa was just out of frame. All that could be seen was her arm. Now, if she could get another photo of Alexa, wearing the same purple top… then she might be able to convince Seb…

* * *

Alexa examined herself in the mirror. She felt she was the most gorgeous person in the world, and unfortunately, she was probably right. 

The door opened slowly behind her. It was Seb. She looked at him in the mirror. "Hi baby," she said.

"Hi."

"You want something?"

Seb nodded. Then he raised the camera, and snapped a picture. "Thanks," he said, and ran off.

Alexa screamed after him.

* * *

"I think she was pretty crushed that I did that for you," commented Seb as he returned the camera to Drew. 

Drew shook her head. "You won't mind once I've shown you these photos."

"Later," said Seb. "I gotta go apologise to Alexa now. So who's left on your hit list?"

"Leo… I think I saw him over near the car."

"Yeah," said Seb, grinning. "He sure loves his cars. Who else?"

"Zack… and Zoë."

"Hmm." Seb thought for a moment. "I remember seeing Zoë heading into the fast food place recently. I don't think I've seen Zack around."

"Okay, thanks." Drew walked in the direction of the fast food café.

* * *

She encountered Zoë sitting at one of the tables, looking bored. 

"How are you feeling, Zoë?"

"Oh, half-and-half. This is so dull, but the food's not bad." Zoë worked part-time as a singer at a night club. It took a lot to get her excited.

"Mind if I take a picture?" Drew held up the camera. Zoë shrugged.

* * *

Drew made her way over to the car on display. A silver BMW. But there was no sign of Leo. 

Suddenly, a person fell on top of her.

"Leo!" she yelled. Leo burst out laughing. "You shouldn't have been on top of the car."

"Hey, I work at the garage, remember? I spend enough time under cars." Leo gave her a wink.

She shook him off, and showed him the camera. He willingly bounded over to the car, and sat on the bonnet (N.B. "hood" for Americans). She took the photo with him pulling a monkey face at her.

And that was it, apart from Zack, who had disappeared. But she could find him later. For it was time to get back on the bus and head back to school.


	2. The Butterfly Effect

**2: The Butterfly Effect**

When she got on the bus, she found, to her annoyance, that Brett was sitting beside Casper. She sat behind them instead, beside Danny.

At least, until Sam got on the bus. He grinned at her, and said, "Mind if I sit here?" He then promptly sat on her lap.

She pushed him off, shot a look at Casper, and moved to the back of the bus, where she found an empty seat.

"Wait!"

Everyone looked out the window. Drew quickly took a photo, just as a black guy came running out of the main doors, his arm reached out to the bus.

Zack.

Everyone applauded and cheered when he got on. "Yo man, what kept ya?" shouted someone.

"I'm really sorry," Zack said. "Really, really sorry."

"Hey, don't lose your head," said Casper. "Sit down."

As Zack started walking down the aisle, the bus moved off.

* * *

Scientists talk of the Butterfly Effect. What they mean by this is, it is possible that a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a storm several thousand miles away. In other words, sometimes the smallest things can have enormous consequences. 

Meet the butterfly.

His name is Ted, although that's not important. What _is_ important is that he is a nine year old boy who likes killing insects and bugs.

Oddly enough, his latest target really was a butterfly. And he was going to kill it.

And every action has a reaction.

* * *

The bus was now speeding past a wooden fence. Ted was on the other side of it. 

Zack had paused, still on his feet, to talk to Leo.

No one had the faintest idea of what was about to happen.

* * *

Ted was proud of his construction. He had found a length of rubber, and had tied it between two trees, making a giant catapult. He decided to test it out. 

By a lucky coincidence, a butterfly had alighted on the wooden fence at the bottom of his garden. He watched it for a moment, then went over to the house. He picked up a fallen brick, and carried it to the catapult.

He took aim.

* * *

Zack and Leo were still talking. Zoë was eyeing up Zack – there were rumours that she had a crush on him. Brett and Casper were horsing around, particularly making faces at Alexa. Phoebe sat two seats behind her, trying to stay unnoticed. Jerry was resting his head against the window, looking out, trying to ignore Seb. Seb was opposite, trying to engage him in conversation. And Sam and Danny were in a heated argument about which Star Wars film was the best. 

Drew sat at the back, looking around all her friends, dotted around the crowded bus. She smiled.

And all hell broke loose.

The brick suddenly burst out of the wooden fence. It smashed through the window, and went straight through Jerry's head, splattering his brains everywhere.

But the brick didn't stop there. It carried on to the other side, and hit Seb in the face. With a scream, Seb fell back against the window beside him. He broke through the glass, and fell out. Now half his body was in, the other half was hanging out the window. The bus driver was now alerted by everyone screaming he looked round in horror.

"Watch the road!" yelled Casper. The bus driver looked back again, and was only just in time to swerve out of the way of an oncoming lorry. Unfortunately, the side of the bus scraped along the side of the lorry.

Sparks flew.

Seb's screams were abruptly cut off.

"No!" cried Alexa, tears running down her face, as Seb's legs and waist fell back onto the seat.

The rest of him had been removed.

* * *

It's not certain whether it was a coincidence or not that Ted chose the exact moment that the bus was passing to fire. But if it _was_ a coincidence, then another one was about to happen. 

A construction worker dropped his cigarette. Not, in itself, a remarkable event. But he dropped it because he saw a bus with broken windows and screaming teenagers zooming past the site.

And he dropped it into a stream of petrol.

No one had noticed the leak. It led to a van, with several sharp pipes protruding from the back.

And it exploded.

* * *

"Stay calm!" Phoebe urged Alexa. She had stood up and moved to beside her to comfort her. She didn't like her, but she did like Seb. And everyone liked Jerry. 

Suddenly, they all heard an explosion. The last thing the driver saw was a long, gleaming pipe lancing towards him.

Then he died.

The bus veered out of control.

"Grab the wheel!" Danny yelled to Sam. Sam shook his head.

"Oh, for Christ's sake," muttered Zack. He strode to the front.

The second pipe shot at them.

This time, it headed down the middle of the aisle. It passed straight through Zack's chest, and on to Phoebe. Phoebe tried to duck, but just too late – the pipe went through her head.

Now the bus was veering round, into the construction site. There was another explosive bang, and another pipe flew at them from the side.

It was headed directly for Brett.

He saw it, and ducked. Sadly, he didn't warn Casper.

"No!" Drew screamed, as her boyfriend was skewered through the brain. Brett turned to look at Casper.

The fourth pipe hit him in the back of the head.

* * *

"Everybody get out of here!" yelled the site foreman. He then ran for it. 

He knew he couldn't stop the bus.

The bus was completely out of control now. It was careering wildly through the construction site.

It crashed through some scaffolding.

Two concrete bricks dropped.

Alexa had sprung to her feet now. She was desperately looking for a way out, but the aisle was blocked by several dead bodies.

"Alexa!" Drew screamed. "Sit down!"

Alexa turned to look at her.

And she was squashed by a concrete block.

The second block fell a small distance away.

There was a steel wire, stretched between two poles, obviously to make sure the wall was built straight.

The block crushed one of the poles.

The wire snapped free and flew to the bus.

Zoë screamed. Alexa's blood had sprayed over her. She leapt to her feet.

The wire sliced through the top of the bus.

It also sliced Zoë's head and shoulders off.

Not only that, it cut through one of the upright poles that people can hold on to in the bus. The pole was already loose from the continuous jolting of the bus.

The pole fell like an axe on Leo's head, cleaving it in two.

* * *

And now, the final act. The van, when it had exploded, had fired a piece of burning metal high into the sky. 

It now landed on some fuel canisters.

* * *

The fireball blasted in through the window. 

Danny's window.

He let out a yell, and Sam did too, before they were both consumed by the flames.

Drew screamed. The blast had by now disintegrated the whole front half of the bus. Now the fireball was coming down it.

Drew cried out, but even as she did so, the searing wave hit her.


	3. Aftermath

**3: Aftermath**

"Mind if I sit here?" said Sam, sitting on Drew's lap.

"Get off me!" she screamed. Everyone looked at her.

"Are you all right?" asked Casper.

"Yeah… I think I just had a bad dream," she replied. She realised she was sweating. It had been a dream about the bus crashing, but it had seemed so real…

Oh well, at least everything was okay.

"Wait!"

Everyone looked out the window. Drew automatically took a photo, just as a black guy came running out of the main doors, his arm reached out to the bus.

Zack.

Everyone applauded and cheered when he got on. "Yo man, what kept ya?" shouted someone.

"I'm really sorry," Zack said. "Really, really sorry."

"Hey, don't lose your head," said Casper. "Sit down."

But Zack found he couldn't sit down, as Drew had leapt to her feet. "It was real!" she screamed. "The exact same thing happened in my dream. We're all going to die!"

"What dream? Are you okay?" Casper pushed Brett out into the aisle and got to his feet. Sam took this opportunity to try and slip past Drew onto her seat, but couldn't.

"We have to get off this bus now!" Drew cried. She began shoving everyone in front of her off the bus. Seb made the mistake of trying to restraint her – instead, he ended up being pushed out the door as well.

No one tried to resist Drew's pushing, as there are few things more dangerous than a woman in hysterics. The result was, everyone who had been standing in the aisle – Drew, Casper, Brett, Zack, Sam and Seb – ended up on the pavement outside the bus.

Casper was still trying to calm Drew down. She was frantic now, screaming over and over that the bus was doomed.

Sam managed to slip past her, and tried to get back on the bus. But the driver shook his head. "You lot of trouble-makers, you stay off my bus!"

"No, wait, I didn't-" Sam began, but the door slammed shut in his face.

"Now look what you did," Zack complained. "We're stuck!"

On the bus, the driver turned round. "Anyone else want to get off? Last chance."

Danny got up to follow his friend. Alexa went after Seb. Leo, eager to finish his conversation with Zack, who was one of his best friends, also rose. Zoë figured she could impress Zack by staying with him, so she moved out too. After a second of indecision, Phoebe followed suit. She didn't like being with Alexa, but she held her friendship with Drew very dearly.

The exiled passengers looked up in surprise as the five new arrivals disembarked. Alexa hugged Seb. Zoë sidled closer to Zack as Leo greeted him. Phoebe came over to Drew and Casper. Danny, figuring a hug would make him look gay, shook Sam by the hand.

Drew looked round as the bus started up. All her friends had got off, except…

"Jerry!" she screamed. Jerry looked out of the window at her in surprise. She made frantic gestures for him to get off.

"Leave him alone," said Casper, rubbing her back soothingly. "The bus is going to be fine."

"No!" She pulled away from him roughly. "Jerry! Please!"

Jerry looked puzzled. The bus began to drive away.

Drew sank to her knees as the bus trundled down the street. She started sobbing.

Then the bus stopped. Jerry got off, and the bus drove away.

"I hope you're grateful for this," Jerry said, sighing. Seb had been trying to engage him in a conversation about his sister – a topic that Jerry preferred to avoid.

He was taken by surprise when Drew hugged him. "Thank you," she said. Then it suddenly dawned on her. The bus…

She took off down a side alley. Casper, then eventually everyone else, followed her.

Drew emerged where she had hoped – right in front of the construction site. And there was the white van, with the pipes in the back. She watched, powerless, as a stream of petrol leaked towards a man standing with a cigarette. He was too far away to warn.

There was a loud _smash_ from her left. All the other passengers, who had now caught up with her, looked around for the source of it. But Drew already knew.

The bus, with some of the windows broken, skidded round the corner. And the worker dropped his cigarette.

The van exploded, and spat its deadly payload at the bus.

Drew turned away.

Casper and the others watched in horror as the bus completed its final journey.

* * *

It was later that day, and Drew was sick of explaining. She had told the police the same story six times now, and every time she told it, they all looked at her as though she was insane. 

They had spoken to the others first. Drew had silently counted them all, and realised with a jolt that there were eleven of them.

She had saved eleven people from death.

When she had told them about her dream for the seventh time, the inspector in charge of the investigation sighed, and said, "Okay, Miss West, you can leave."

Drew thankfully exited the room, and received a very long, tight hug from Casper.

* * *

They reported it on the news that night. 

"In a shocking accident, a bus crashed today and killed thirty two people, along with the driver. Sadly, it was a school trip, and all the passengers were seventeen or eighteen years old. Apparently, it was started by a brick, which distracted the driver. The bus crashed into a construction yard where it was destroyed by an exploding fuel canister. Bizarrely, twelve people had got off the bus moments before the accident. According to the police report, one girl, Drew West, had a premonition about the accident. Very strange, but these things happen."

These things happen. That was it. So a bus crashed – that sort of thing happened all the time.

It was so much worse when it was the bus you were on.

Drew shivered. She had come very close to death today. She didn't want to have to face it again.

* * *

Of course, if she hadn't, this story would end here. 

But it doesn't.

However, bear it mind that all beginnings must have an end… but no one says it has to be a happy one.


	4. Guns and Roses

**4: Guns and Roses**

"_School's out for summer._

_School's out for ever!"_

Drew forced a smile. She knew Casper was trying to cheer her up, but he had a terrible singing voice.

Casper's oral massacre subsided, and he sat down on the sofa next to her. He put his arm around her.

Six weeks had passed since the terrible accident. Drew knew she should be happy – after all, she was still alive, and school had ended last week. But every night she kept reliving that fateful afternoon in her nightmares.

At least she still had Casper. Most of the survivors had gone their separate ways when school ended. Zoë, for example, had now got a full-time job in her nightclub. Seb was acting in a play in the local theatre, and was busy rehearsing. Alexa had obtained a minor role in the play, in order to be with Seb. Leo was still working in the garage. Phoebe had set up her own website. Brett wasn't doing much. He still hung out with Casper a lot.

She knew nothing of the others – Zack, Jerry, Sam or Danny. All she knew was that no one had actually left town yet.

They had all had mixed reactions to Drew after the bus crash. Casper, Brett, Leo, Jerry, Phoebe – they all were extremely grateful to her for saving their lives. Zoë, Seb, Sam and Danny were avoiding her now, as they thought she was weird, and her premonition had scared them. Alexa and Zack were downright nasty to her.

Drew sighed at the memory of the others. She closed her eyes and snuggled up next to Casper. At least he was here to protect her. At least the horrible event was behind her.

At least it was over.

Wasn't it?

* * *

"Presenting our last contender… JERRY GRIEVER!" boomed the voice around the arena. 

Jerry Griever emerged from a door to loud cheering. He grinned, and waved at everyone. He loved it.

He had entered this competition to prove he was the best marksman in the area. He had entered others before, and always won. He was confident he would do the same now. He wasn't in it for the prize, which was basically some money, a certificate and a bunch of flowers.

He went over to the mark on the floor, which told him where to stand, and drew his gun.

It was a Colt .45 – quite a large gun, but with a lot of stopping power. Plus, it could shoot right through a brick wall. And it was his. He stood in the position, and, as the first target flicked up, he opened fire.

* * *

Jerry found it difficult to return to the changing room after the contest. He had won, of course – he always did. He had been presented with a large bouquet of roses, which looked nice, but weren't really practical. Oh well. 

After shaking dozens of people by the hand, he finally got into the locker room, and had peace at last. He was alone here – all the other contenders were long gone.

He figured he would take a long, hot shower, then go out to a swanky restaurant and spend some of the money he had won.

_Squeak_

Jerry jumped. He almost drew his gun. Then he relaxed. It was nothing.

_Squeak_

Jerry looked around the room, puzzled. There was no one here, so where had that noise come from?

_Squeak squeak squeak_

Now Jerry really did draw his gun. There was definitely _something_ in the room. But where?

_Squeak squeak CLANK_

Jerry whipped round. The sound had come from the showers. They were cut off from the lockers by a wooden partition, but it had been slid almost all the way back. Only one shower was hidden from view.

That must be where the noise was coming from.

He listened.

Silence.

Maybe he had imagined it.

_Creeeaaaaak_

"Who's there?" he demanded. There was no answer. "Show yourself!" he tried again. Nothing.

He cocked the gun. "Alright, I've given you fair warning," he said, casually. "I'll shoot on the count of three. One."

Nothing happened.

"Two."

Still nothing.

"Three. Ready or not, here I come!" Jerry fired the gun. The bullet smashed straight through the wood and hit something on the other side with a loud _ding_.

Water sprayed everywhere. Jerry, surprised, looked around the sliding door.

He had killed a shower.

He burst out laughing. He had been spooked by a loose shower head. That was something to tell his friends in the pub later.

He took a step forward, and slipped on the water that had sprayed over the floor from the deceased shower.

The gun flew out of his hand. He fell on his back on the hard tiled floor.

There were several hooks along the benches in the middle of the floor. You know, for hanging your stuff on while getting changed. The gun somehow managed to fall on one of these hooks, so it was supported by the trigger.

Jerry saw this, and quickly leapt to his feet, as the gun fired.

The area of floor that Jerry's head had been on two seconds ago disintegrated.

Jerry stared. That was impossible. Okay, since it had happened, it wasn't _impossible_, but it was highly unlikely.

He realised he hadn't breathed since he hit the ground. He drew a deep breath, and shivered. First he got off a bus that then crashed. There now, he won the shooting competition. And now, he had narrowly avoided death for the second time.

He was one lucky bastard.

His face broke into a grin. He would ring Drew West and tell her. She would like that.

He grabbed his gun off the hook, and turned back to where the gun case was.

He took a step forward.

He slipped again.

This time, he regained his balance.

The gun fell from his hand.

It hit the floor.

It went off.

The bullet pierced Jerry's lower jaw. It continued through his brain and out the other side.

Jerry's body fell to the floor. His blood mingled with the water.

Beside him lay the blood-red roses.


	5. Exit Stage Left

**5: Exit Stage Left**

Although they had gone their separate ways, all of the survivors of the bus accident were watching the news that night.

So they all learned of Jerry's death.

Drew and Casper were in the kitchen, eating pizza, when they heard the voice say, "The Annual Summer Shootout was marred today by the death of the winner, Jerry Griever."

Drew and Casper both choked. They stared at the TV as a photo of Jerry appeared onscreen.

Sam and Danny saw it, too. They were watching the TV, open-mouthed, as the newsreader continued, "Barely half an hour after winning the competition…"

"… Jerry Griever was found dead in the changing room. He had been shot through the head." Seb and Alexa stopped making out to watch.

"Evidently, it was an accident. According to the police report, Griever dropped the gun…" Zoë was upset. She had finally got together with Zack, but now this news report had ended what was promising to be a night of passion. They watched the TV.

"… and it went off, killing him. We will update you if anything more comes to light." The report ended. Phoebe, Leo and Brett were all at Leo's house, and had been talking about the bus crash.

Tears were streaming down Phoebe's face. Brett buried his face in his hands.

* * *

Drew looked agitated, thought Casper. Zoë must be giving her a hard time. 

Drew's first thought, after they had got over the shock of Jerry's death, had been to ring all the other survivors.

She was on the phone to Zoë and Zack now.

She hung up. Casper raised his eyes. "So? How are they?"

Drew shook her head sadly. "They don't care. Zack said that I should stop grieving over Griever. And Zoë laughed. They're heartless motherf-"

"Yes, they are," said Casper, clamping his hand over her mouth. "Forget them. They can go to hell for all we care. Who's next?"

"Seb."

Casper looked at her expectantly. "What?" she said.

"Don't you mean, Seb and Alexa?"

"No. Alexa will be just as horrible, I know it." Drew reflected for a moment. "The eleven of us… we're all bound together now. By Fate, almost."

"Right," said Casper, pushing the phone into her hand. "Now call Seb and Alexa."

* * *

"Is this a digger I see before me, the handle-" 

"No, no, NO!" screamed the director. "It's a _dagger_, not a digger. What would McB do with a digger?"

"Run over the king?" Seb suggested.

It was not going well. Seb was awful at remembering lines, and so starring as Macbeth in the play of the same name was a bad idea.

Alexa had been a bit put out when she discovered that the minor role Seb had arranged for her was, in fact, one of the witches. However, she was much better at acting than Seb.

The director was a short, rotund man, with a face so red, it was a surprise he hadn't literally exploded yet. He held with the age-old superstition that the play Macbeth should never be referred to by name, so he called in "The Scottish Play". He also refused to call the character by name, and called him McB instead.

"Get off the stage, Mr Locke. We'll try again later."

Seb grudgingly moved off.

_THUMP_

Seb jumped. Alexa gasped. The director stared.

The theatre they were using was a very old-fashioned one. As a result, it still had sandbags to act as counterweights for the curtain.

And one of them had crashed to the ground, barely two feet from Seb.

"Who did that?" yelled the director.

* * *

Drew and Casper made their way to the theatre. "It was nice of Seb to invite us to his rehearsal. I heard he's really good now." 

"Uh-huh," Drew agreed. "He sounded funny on the phone. I don't think he's over Jerry's death yet."

"What about Alexa?" asked Casper.

"I don't think she's too pleased that we're coming."

Casper ticked names off on his fingers. "So that's everyone, then?"

"Yeah," Drew nodded. "Most of them – apart from Zoë and Zack – are really upset about Jerry."

Casper bowed his head. "He was a good guy. He didn't deserve to die."

The taxi came to an abrupt halt. "What's wrong?" Casper asked the driver.

"Fire," was the reply. They looked out the window, and saw what he meant.

Right next to the theatre Seb and Alexa were performing in, a rubbish dumpster was ablaze. People were avoiding it, and standing to watch at a distance. But no one seemed to be in a rush. The fire wasn't doing any harm.

"We can walk from here. Thanks." Casper paid the driver and they exited the cab. The traffic was at a standstill. They ran through the cars to the theatre.

* * *

"A fire, huh? So it's stealing my thunder?" Seb smiled. 

Drew waved her hands impatiently. "But how are you guys? Are you all right?"

Seb leaned forward conspiratorially. "We had a little accident yesterday," he said. He then related the sandbag incident.

Drew was horrified. "What now? Will you still use the stage?"

Seb nodded. "We tied the sandbags up in the rafters. They won't be going anywhere."

Alexa appeared. She tapped Seb on the shoulder. "The director told me to 'tell that asshole Locke to get on stage now!'. So I'd advise you get up there." She glanced disdainfully at Drew and Casper.

As Seb walked away, Drew suddenly remembered that she had never shown him the photographic evidence of how mean Alexa was. The bus crash had driven it out of her mind. She decided she would talk to him after the rehearsal.

* * *

Up in the rafters, a mouse discovered a rope for it to nibble.

* * *

Drew and Casper took their seats, sitting as far away from the director as possible. The little man was apoplectic that his leading man had nearly been flattened by a sandbag the day before. He was convinced it had been on purpose. 

"Where will I begin?" Seb called from the stage.

The director sighed heavily. "Your dagger speech," he said.

Seb cleared his throat. "Is this a dagger I see before me, its bundle turned-"

"Its HANDLE!" screamed the director. "God, I can't believe the play opens next week! It'll be a disaster!"

Seb smiled weakly at Drew and Casper. Alexa was sitting nearby. He shot a look at her, and rolled his eyes.

"I saw that!" roared the director, springing to his feet. "You are going to stay there until you get the speech right!"

Seb shrugged.

He drew a deep breath, and began "Is this a dagger I see before me-"

* * *

It had happened so fast, but Drew recalled everything as though it was in slow motion. A sandbag had suddenly swung down and hit Seb square in the back. It sent him flying. 

He crashed through the window at the side of the stage.

Alexa screamed, and leapt to her feet. So did Drew and Casper. They all ran to the window.

A terrible sight greeted their eyes.

Seb had fallen into the flaming dumpster.

And the lid had slammed down, closing him in.

The three of them ran outside as fast as was humanly possible.

People were already trying to open the lid, but it was stuck. Casper cast around desperately for something to prise the lid off, but there was nothing.

Seb's screams of agony slowly faded away.

When the fire engine finally arrived, and they cut the dumpster open, all they found were a heap of ashes.


	6. Make a Wish

**6: Make a Wish**

Casper flicked the coin into the air. It caught the sunlight as it spun. It flipped once, twice, and then fell with a _plop_ into the water of the fountain.

"Make a wish?" he suggested.

"I wish this was over," said Drew. Tears streaked her face. Jerry had been a good guy, but Seb was one of her best friends.

They were sitting on the edge of a grand fountain in the park. Trees surrounded them. A breeze made the leaves rustle.

There had been the necessary statements after Seb's death. That was yesterday. Now Drew was getting very worried.

"You wish what was over?" Casper asked her.

Drew looked at him. "Don't you see it yet?"

"See what?"

Drew gestured wildly. "This! Jerry! Seb!"

Casper stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"Look at it like this. Twelve people got off that bus, right? And now, all of a sudden, two of them die in freak accidents within twenty four hours of each other. That can't be a coincidence. _Something_ wanted us to die on that bus. Thanks to my premonition, we didn't. So now it's back, to claim those that cheated it."

"So you're saying that this… _force_ that's after us… it's the Grim Reaper?" Casper looked at her incredulously.

Drew nodded. "That seems to be the most likely explanation. And there's something else."

"You've really given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"Yes," admitted Drew, "I've been thinking about it since Seb died. Look, it seems like a long shot, but I think I can work out the order the survivors will die in."

Casper was definitely worried now. "Are you all right, Drew? Are you still in shock over Jerry and Seb?"

"No! This is the truth! It might not mean anything, but in my dream on the bus, Jerry died first. Then Seb died shortly after that."

Casper considered this. "So we're dying in the order we should have on the bus? You know, there's a hospital around the corner, if you don't feel…"

Drew pushed him away angrily. Casper, caught off guard, fell off the fountain.

There was a roll of thunder. To their surprise, it began to rain.

Passers-by hurried away, but Drew remained where she was. She was thinking aloud. "So if my theory about the order of death is correct, then…" she tried to remember. It wasn't all that difficult – she saw it in her dreams every night.

"Zack is next!" she declared, and leapt to her feet.

There was a bolt of lightning.

It struck a nearby tree.

A large section of the tree fell on Drew.

Casper was horrified. Drew wasn't dead, but the tree had pushed her into the water in the fountain, and was holding her there.

She was drowning.

Casper grabbed the tree, and tried to move it, but to no avail.

Drew's arms were flailing around at either side of the tree. She didn't have long to live.

Something possessed Casper. He remembered the day before, when he had failed to save Seb. He didn't want to fail Drew as well.

With a superhuman effort, he managed to lift the tree.

Drew emerged, gasping for breath.

"See!" she exclaimed. "I was right!"

"You were wrong," said Casper, manhandling her into a taxi. "Okay, so I guess we are all dying, but you said Zack was next. But it's not. It's you."

Drew had been thinking about this, too.

"I think I know what happened," she said. "You see, I think I was supposed to die after Seb. I moved to the back to let Sam sit with Danny. Now, Danny told Sam to grab the wheel after Seb died. Sam refused, and Zack did instead. But had it been me, I think that _I would have gone for the wheel_. And I would have died."

"So it's you, then," commented Casper. "And then Zack. Then who?"

Drew screwed up her face. "As far as I can remember, if I add myself after Seb, the order was: Jerry, Seb, me, Zack, Phoebe…" She faltered.

Casper looked at her. "Then me?" he said quietly. She nodded sadly. "Keep going," he told her.

Drew continued. "You, Brett, Alexa, Zoë, Leo, Danny, and lastly, Sam."

Casper was upset. "You mean, we're just waiting until you die now?"

Drew nodded. "I guess so. Zack is safe until I die, at any rate. Thanks for saving me, by the way."

Casper forced a grin. "Come on, say thank you properly." He leaned in for a kiss.

Drew was about to reciprocate, when she saw someone crossing the street out of the corner of her eye. She suddenly pulled away from Casper. "Now what?" he said.

"Zack!" breathed Drew. "There he is!"

And there he was. He was heading for a department store.

Drew leapt out of the car. "Zack!" she yelled.

Zack turned around.

Drew and Casper ran over to him.

"What?" he said wearily. Zoë was beginning to wear him down. He was here to buy her a new pair of shoes. He knew that, when he got home, she would announce that she didn't like them anyway. He sighed.

He listened as Drew explained her theories to him. When she was finished, he laughed at her.

"Come off it! Two people die and you assume we're all dead meat!"

"But it's true!" Drew wailed. "And when I die, you're next!"

Zack guffawed. "Yeah, right."

He began walking backwards, towards the doors of the shop. They slid open when they sensed his approach.

"Please listen to me, Zack! We need to get together and-"

"Shut up, Drew! I don't care!" He raised his arm and pointed at her. "You believe what you want!"

He was moving backwards through the open doors now.

"If you think you're next, then you go ahead and wait to die! As for me, I'm getting on with my own life, thank you very much. I'm not going to die now!"

Now he was inside the shop.

And then the automatic doors slammed shut.

They slid open again.

Zack stared in horror. His arm had still been outstretched.

Now it was lying on the floor.

Blood was flowing freely from what was left of his arm.

He collapsed.

"Zack!" Drew and Casper both screamed at him. "Get up NOW!"

But Zack, weak from the shock of what happened, couldn't move.

And the doors slammed shut again.

This time, they were in line with his neck.


	7. Deja Vu

**7: Déjà vu**

In the end, Casper did take Drew to the hospital, where she was treated for shock. After half an hour, the nurse told Casper, "She's fine. Just a bit upset, that's all."

That was hardly surprising. At least with Seb, they hadn't actually seen him die. But Drew had been directly in front of Zack when the doors sliced his head off. A jet of blood had sprayed onto her face.

She had been rather upset about it.

Casper greeted her in the waiting room, and walked her outside. They found a bench, and sat down. Casper waited.

Finally, Drew spoke. "Phoebe's next," was all she said.

Casper nodded. Drew evidently didn't want to think about Zack.

He was wrong.

"I've been trying to work out why Zack died," Drew continued. "After all, I was supposed to be next. Why did it skip me?"

Casper thought about it. "I saved you," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, back when the bus crashed, Death was going to kill us," Casper explained. "But you saved us. You cheated Death and spared us. So it missed us, and came back later. I think the same rules apply now. I saved you from Death, so it left you alone and moved on to Zack. I think you're safe, at least until it cycles round to you again."

Drew considered this. She nodded. "So we _can_ cheat it."

"Only temporarily, I think. And I think someone else has to save you. Zack could have got up, but he didn't. Death has foreseen everything we do. It's up to someone else to intervene and make it skip us."

Drew looked as though she was suddenly remembering something. She sat up, and then said, "Let's go to my bedroom."

Casper was caught off guard. "Now? After what's happened?"

Drew rolled her eyes. "Do all men think with their groins, rather than their brains?"

Casper smiled. "Most of the time, yeah."

Drew grabbed him by the arm. "We need to go now. There isn't much time."

* * *

When they reached Drew's room, she did not, to Casper's disappointment, start stripping. Rather, she switched on her computer. 

"What are you doing?" Casper asked, sitting on the bed.

"I've seen Zack before," she muttered.

"Yes… you went to school with him, remember?"

Drew shook her head. "I don't mean that. Seeing Zack, standing between automatic doors, with his arm raised… it was like a déjà vu."

She clicked a button.

Several files appeared onscreen.

alexa.jpg

casperandbrett.jpg

dannyandsam.jpg

jerry.jpg

leo.jpg

me.jpg

phoebe.jpg

seb.jpg

zack.jpg

zoe.jpg

"What are those?" asked Casper, seeing his name on the list.

"These are the photos I took the day of the bus crash. I want to check something." She clicked on zack.jpg. The photo of Zack suddenly filled the screen.

She gasped. "Look familiar?" she said to Casper.

Casper examined it.

Zack had been running out of the automatic doors of the shopping centre, but now he was frozen in mid-air. He was positioned between the two doors.

And he had his armed raised in front of him.

Casper looked at it for a long time. Eventually, he said quietly, "That's a coincidence. Couldn't be anything else."

"Let's find out, shall we?" Drew closed Zack's picture, and moved the cursor to hover over jerry.jpg. "Dare we?"

Casper considered it. "All right," he said. "Then we can find out that it was a coincidence."

Jerry's photo opened. They stared at it.

Jerry was holding the lightgun to his head, pretending to shoot himself.

* * *

Phoebe was also in her bedroom. She was looking through her record collection. 

She had had all her favourite songs transferred onto records. She preferred them to CDs.

After a lot of indecision, she chose a record labelled BLUE OYSTER CULT.

* * *

Drew and Casper looked at each other. Drew was trembling. "Now that's one hell of a coincidence," she said. 

Casper felt sick. This couldn't be happening. "Well, there's one way to find out, isn't there?"

Drew nodded. She closed Jerry's photo, and moved the cursor to seb.jpg.

* * *

Phoebe switched on her computer and logged in to her own webcam, While she waited for the page to load, she did a little dance to the sound of _Don't Fear the Reaper_, which was the song currently playing.

* * *

"Where's the fire?" asked Casper. 

Drew examined the photo. Seb had his face pressed up again the window, which fitted, since he had been thrown out a window. But what about the fire?

Then she saw it. "There," she said, pointing. There was a sticker on the window, covering Seb's lower body. It was the sort that you can see through, so while it was pointing outwards (towards Seb), they could see that it bore a drawing of fire. The words below it were back-to-front, but they could read them. They said, "Please do not smoke in this store as there is a high fire risk. Thank you".

* * *

Phoebe checked her profile status. No one was online yet. She knew it wouldn't be long, though. She fiddled with one of the numerous clips she had out in her hair, hoping it made her attractive. 

The record was still playing. "_Don't fear the reaper…"_ sang the voice.

Then it stuck. Phoebe sighed. The problem with her records was, they often skipped and started playing the same few seconds of the song over and over. It was doing so now. As she got to her feet to fix it, the song kept repeating three words.

"_Fear the reaper… fear the reaper… fear the reaper…_"

* * *

"We have to warn Phoebe," Drew said. Casper agreed. Drew opened the phoebe.jpg file. 

"Well, I think this one's easy to work out," said Casper.

He was right. Phoebe was standing, and a record was hanging in mid air, clearly flying towards her. Alexa's arm was just visible.

She quickly closed it and opened an Internet page.

"What are you doing?" Casper asked.

Drew pointed at the clock. "It's Phoebevision time!"

* * *

"_Fear the reaper… fear the reaper…_" The song was still stuck. Phoebe fiddled with it, and finally it started playing normally again. She turned to the computer. 

A beep had alerted her that someone wanted to talk to her. She moved away from the record player.

She didn't notice that one of her hairclips had fallen into the machine.

She sat down. The user trying to contact her was Drew. She smiled, and clicked the button.

Drew's face appeared onscreen. To her surprise, Phoebe saw that Casper was sitting on her bed.

"Drew!" Phoebe exclaimed. "What were you and Cass up to?"

Casper winced. Phoebe was the only person in the world that called him "Cass". He didn't like it.

"We weren't doing anything. Listen Phoebe, you're in great danger!" said Drew dramatically.

Phoebe didn't hear her. The record player had just gone _bang_.

"Did you hear me?" demanded Drew from the screen. Phoebe wasn't paying attention. The record had suddenly started to spin faster and faster.

"Phoebe!" Drew screamed at her. "You have to get out of the house _now_!"

"Why?" she asked, turned back.

"You're going to die!" yelled Casper. "Run!"

"Me? Die?" Phoebe looked confused. Then her face suddenly became a mask of terror. "You mean, like Jerry? And Seb?"

"And Zack!" said Casper. "He died earlier today!"

"Oh no," said Phoebe. She stood up.

The record player exploded.

It ejected the record with extreme force.

The disc spun through the air at a very high velocity.

Phoebe turned to look at it in surprise.

The world's most lethal music hit her just below the jaw line.

Drew and Casper looked on in horror as the now-headless corpse of their friend dropped to the floor.

Then the screen went blank. Casper had switched it off.

Drew was in tears. "We couldn't save her. I failed."

Casper put his arm around her shoulders. "You did everything in your power. Don't worry; you'll manage it next time. Who's next, by the way?"

Drew avoided his eyes.

"Oh," said Casper.


	8. Eternal Sleep

**8: Eternal Sleep**

In a dingy office in a godforsaken basement, the phone rang. It was picked up by a huge man, as wide as he was tall. "Hello?" he said. "Stoke Travel Insurance. How may I help?"

The voice on the other end was breathless, and sounded worried. "Can I talk to Brett, please?" it asked.

"Who?"

"Brett Edwards."

The man nodded, as though she could see him. He bellowed, "Edwards! Phone call!"

Brett ambled into the room. He hated this part-time job, but it was all he could get. He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Brett!"

"Drew?" said Brett. "Are you alright?"

"Listen, Brett, Casper's in a bad way. He had a bit of a shock and he needs some comfort. I'm doing all I can, but can you come over as well?"

"Hang on a sec," said Brett. He covered the mouthpiece and turned to the boss. "Can I have the rest of the evening off?"

The boss shrugged.

"I'm on my way," said Brett told Drew.

* * *

Drew hung up the phone. Casper was still being violently sick in the toilet. She knew how hard it must be for him. But she wasn't going to let him die, too. 

She glanced at the computer. The mouse was hovering over casperandbrett.jpg.

"Don't," said Casper's voice behind her. She turned round. Casper was wiping his mouth with a towel. "I'm not sure I'm ready."

"Don't worry," said Drew, trying to console him. "I called Brett. He's on his way over."

Casper smiled. "Great."

Drew turned back to the computer. "We'll have to look at it sooner or later."

Casper sighed. He sat down on the bed again. "Okay. Let's do it."

He reached out. Drew took him hand in hers, and squeezed it tightly.

She double-clicked the file.

* * *

Brett was upset. The reason for this was that he had lost his wallet. 

Again.

"Looks like I'm walking," he remarked to no one in particular. He strode out into the street.

It was getting dark now. He started walking.

He reflected on what Drew had told him. So Casper was in shock? He knew that the two of them had seen Zack die, and had been there for Seb's final performance.

It was weird, really. Of the twelve who had got off the bus, three were dead. He started to cross the street.

He was nearly knocked down by a speeding ambulance.

He watched it disappear into the night.

With a vague feeling of worry, he noted that it was heading in the direction of Phoebe's house.

He shook the feeling off, and continued walking.

* * *

Casper looked at his own death. And frowned. "So… how am I supposed to die?" 

Drew was looking at the photo.

It depicted Casper and Brett bouncing on the bed that day.

That was all.

"So a _bed_ is going to kill me?" Casper ventured.

Drew examined the picture. "There must be something else…"

Then she pointed to something. "That must be it," she said.

Behind Casper and Brett was a large sign, bearing the words, "ETERNAL SLEEP: SWEET DREAMS".

It was clearly supported by a large spike.

"That's what's going to kill me. A sharp spike."

Drew hugged him.

* * *

Brett couldn't believe it. He was lost. 

He saw a phone booth. Rummaging around in his pockets, he found just enough money for a phone call. He dialled for Drew's house.

* * *

Drew and Casper jumped when the phone rang. Drew answered, and listened for a moment. She hung up. 

"Who was that?"

"Brett. He's lost again." Drew grabbed her coat. "He gave me the street name."

Casper stood up too. "Maybe you should stay here," Drew warned him.

He shook his head. "I want to see Brett. Let's go."

* * *

The reason Brett was lost, it transpired, was that he had wandered down a dead-end alley. Brett had a terrible sense of direction. He sometimes got lost when he went from his bedroom to the bathroom. 

He grinned sheepishly at them. "Hi," he said.

Casper hugged him. "Hey, man, whoa, whoa!" said Brett pulling away. "Don't tell me you've turned gay!"

"Sorry," said Casper. He and Drew then quickly explained all that had happened.

Brett just stood there, in the freezing cold, listening. When they had finished, he said, "Okay, I believe you."

"You do?" said Drew in surprise.

Brett nodded. "You two are my best friends. You'd never lie to me."

Drew and Casper were touched.

"Come on then," said Brett. "Let's see if we can get you home without running into any… oh."

"Oh what?" said Drew, suddenly alert.

"Look." Brett pointed.

This end of the alley had opened out into a small square. A few dark windows hinted that there were shops here.

And on one of the walls, a large spike was protruding.

Casper looked at it. He began to edge away very slowly.

They all looked round at the sound of an engine. A van had reversed down the alley, and stopped, so there was no way out.

The van said "ETERNAL SLEEP: SWEET DREAMS" on it.

Casper was frozen to the spot with fear.

"I'll deal with this," said Brett. He went over to the spike, and began trying to wrench it out of the wall.

Drew moved towards Casper. "Get away from me, Drew!" Casper shouted at her. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't," she said, soothingly. "Just give Brett two minutes, he can have that pole out of the wall, and you'll be safe!"

"But Brett's a weakling," Casper pointed out. This was true. They looked at Brett, who was grunting and not getting anywhere.

Drew took a step in his direction, to help him.

This meant Casper was by himself in the middle of the square.

There was a screeching sound. Another vehicle was zooming down the alley. It ran straight into the front of the van.

The back of the van burst open.

A mattress appeared.

It was a most bizarre sight. The mattress was flying straight at Casper, the flat side towards him. Casper was paralysed.

At the last second possible, Drew threw herself at him. They went crashing to the ground, but the mattress sailed harmlessly over their heads.

Harmless for them, anyway.

The mattress hit a window on the far wall of the square. It rebounded, and flew back again.

But not at Casper.

It's unlikely Brett felt anything. He was engrossed in the task of pulling the spike out of the wall.

The mattress hit him in the back. He was pushed on to the spike. It travelled through him, and stabbed through the mattress as well.

There was silence. Drew and Casper looked at the mattress. It was hiding Brett from view, but the part of the spike that was protruding was dripping with blood.

Casper sank to his knees, and did something he would never normally do.

He started to cry.


	9. Fear the Reaper

**9: Fear the Reaper**

"That spike was never meant for me. It was for Brett all along. We should have realised that. In the photo, the pole was pointing at Brett, not me," said Casper.

Drew nodded. "But Brett's dead now, Casper. We have to get over it."

"He was my best friend!" said Casper hotly. "We've been friends since we were five!"

"Two years of friendship, then," said Drew, attempting to smile. She caught Casper's look. "Sorry," she said.

They were in the back of a taxi. Fortunately, the driver was separated from them by a glass partition, and so couldn't hear their discussion.

* * *

Drew had done some research, after they had attended Brett's funeral. It had been four days since he died. And no one else had died so far. 

Alexa was next on the list. Drew had tried phoning her, but couldn't seem to reach her. She knew why. After Seb's death, Alexa had stopped speaking to Drew altogether.

But as far as she knew, Alexa was still alive.

"Maybe Death is going to leave us alone. Maybe, if you cheat it twice, that stops it," she had suggested. Casper had replied that he didn't know.

So Drew had done her research. She discovered that her premonition of the bus accident was not the first of its kind. There were, in fact, three previous cases.

First, some guy called Alex Browning had had a premonition that the plane he and his friends were on would explode. Seven people got off the plane. And then it did explode.

But after that, the seven survivors began to die, one by one. They were now all dead.

The second event was a motorway pileup. Again, a girl called Kimberly Corman had a premonition of the accident. She prevented a number of cars from getting on the motorway. And later, the survivors again started to die.

The third happened much more recently. A rollercoaster called the Devil's Flight had derailed and killed some school kids. But not before a girl called Wendy Christensen had got most of her friends off it. However, they all died in bizarre accidents.

But there was an odd one out. Alex was dead – killed by a falling brick. And Wendy was also dead – she died in a subway accident. But Kimberly was still alive. So was Thomas Burke, a police officer who she had prevented from getting on the motorway. They were the only people who had stopped Death. They had found a way to beat it.

So Drew and Casper were on their way to see them now. They lived out in the country.

* * *

They arrived at the house. Casper paid the driver, and said, "Could you stick around? We'll probably need a ride back again." 

The driver considered this.

"You can keep the meter running while we're in there," said Casper.

"Done," said the driver immediately.

Drew meanwhile had rung the doorbell. A middle-aged woman opened it. "Kimberly Corman?" she asked hopefully.

The woman regarded her. "Was. Now I'm Kimberly Burke. Who are you?"

Drew explained why they had come. Kimberly nodded, and invited them into the house.

They were taken into the lounge. Casper immediately threw himself down on the sofa. He suddenly sprang to his feet again.

"No, no, please sit," said a voice. Drew turned. A man who logically must be Thomas Burke had entered.

Everyone sat. "Well, Drew, why don't you tell us all about it?" said Kimberly kindly.

So Drew did, with occasional help from Casper. She told them the whole story. The bus accident. Jerry's death. Them seeing Seb get killed. Realising the order of deaths. Drew's near-death experience and Zack's subsequent death. The realisation that the photographs contained clues to how each person would die. Their attempts to warn Phoebe, and failing to save her. Their mistake over how Casper would die, and how it resulted in Brett's death.

She only realised, when she had finished, that she had been talking for over an hour.

There was silence in the room. The only sound was the ticking of the clock. Drew hated the sound. Every tick brought Death a step closer to them all. Alexa particularly. But then again, for all she knew, all the others had died, and it was her turn again.

But she had looked at her own photo. It was, of course, her falling into the fountain. And there were no fountains around. But would Death try and kill her the same way? Was the photo only good for the first attempt?

Kimberly spoke. "It was just as bad for me, believe me. I saw things I still have nightmares about. I saw a fifteen-year-old boy crushed under a pane of glass. I saw a girl be scorched by a jet of flame."

Thomas interrupted. "And I saw a guy get sliced up by flying barbed wire. It was not pleasant."

"But you beat Death!" insisted Drew. "How?"

"Yeah, how?" added Casper.

"New life," said Kimberly.

"Excuse me?"

""Only new life can defeat death". That's what we were told."

"And what does that mean?" asked Casper.

Kimberly explained. "I died, once. I drowned. But a doctor managed to revive me. I had another chance at life. I had new life. And that was a life that didn't fit into Death's design. So, we screwed His plan up, and ended that nightmare."

"So one of us has to die… and be brought back to life?"

"Sounds risky," commented Casper.

"It's the only way," said Thomas.

Drew nodded decisively. "Okay. Thanks for all your help." She got up and was about to leave, when she saw something. "What's that?" she asked.

It was a plaque on the wall. On it were two words in Latin – Temetis Messor.

"What does "Temetis Messor" mean?" she asked Thomas.

"We thought it was appropriate," he said. "It sums up our lives. It means "Fear the Reaper." Good motto, huh?"

Drew smiled. "It certainly is."

* * *

"It's not over," Drew remarked on the way home. 

Casper sighed. "I guess we better go and warn the next on the list. Alexa."

"Yeah." Drew drummed her fingers on the door handle. "New life… one of us must die. That's a big chance we'd be taking."

"But it would be worth it," Casper reminded her.

"It would. But we can work that out later. In the meantime, we need to look at Alexa's photo, and then get to her as fast as possible."

The taxi drove on, carrying them back to the city – back to where Death had claimed a lot of their friends.

Would it claim any more?


	10. Into the Void

**10: Into the Void**

"Alexa and Zoë. Leo, Danny and Sam. We need to get the remaining survivors together and talk to them about this."

"Agreed," said Casper.

Drew waited for the computer to finish. "There," she said.

All the photos had been printed out. Casper took his, folded it up, and slipped it into his pocket. Drew took hers from the pile, too. Then she leafed through them to find Alexa's.

They examined it. It depicted Alexa preening herself in front of a mirror. That was all.

"She's going to kill herself," Casper said flatly. "What else could it be?"

"She doesn't have much time left," said Drew. "Okay, here's the plan. I'll go and find Alexa, and try and convince her to come back with me. Meanwhile, you organise everyone else. Start with Zoë, as she's after Alexa. You have your mobile with you?"

Casper nodded.

"Good. If anything has happened to Alexa, I'll call you. That way, you can try and protect Zoë."

"We should look a Zoë's picture, then," said Casper.

Drew pulled it from the pile. It showed her sitting at the table in the fast food restaurant. There were no clues in this one.

"What do you call the club she performs at these days?" asked Casper.

"El Borracho, why?"

"Look." Casper tapped the photo. Drew looked where his finger was.

There was a sign behind Zoë, advertising the El Borracho club.

"Oh no," she said.

* * *

"Alexa Cole?" said the deep, baritone voice. 

Alexa smiled. "Hello," she said.

"You sent for a male escort," said the man – a young, Hispanic, hunky sort of guy. "My name is Raoul."

Alexa nodded.

She had booked into the most expensive room in the most expensive hotel in the whole country. She had also decided to sleep with every single guy she met. It was her way of getting over the fact that her boyfriend had been cremated while he was still alive.

She was already lying in the huge bed, the silk covers tracing her well-shaped figure. She patted the bed, indicating that Raoul should sit. He did.

"So what exactly do you want?" he asked her.

Alexa smiled, and gestured to the ceiling. Raoul looked up. There was a large mirror there.

"I've been dying to try it out," said Alexa in a husky voice.

"I'd be happy to oblige," replied Raoul, starting to undo his belt.

* * *

Casper waited while Drew was on the phone. She took a long time. Eventually, she came back, and said, "Alexa seems to have been moving around all over the place. She must have been pretty upset over Seb." 

"So where is she now?"

"You know that big hotel up on the hill?"

"Yeah?" said Casper, and then frowned. "She's in there?"

"Yes. Apparently, she booked into the bridal suite."

Casper looked confused. "But she's not married!"

"Well, she did have a male escort sent to her room."

Casper seemed lost in thought for a moment, and Drew hit him. "Stop picturing Alexa and some young stud having it off, please."

"No!" Casper protested. "I wasn't thinking about that! Listen, isn't it traditional to have mirrors above the beds in those sorts of rooms? You know, so the bride can watch the groom's-"

"You're right!" exclaimed Drew, cutting him off. "I have to get to her as fast as possible! You go and find Zoë, okay?"

* * *

"Was that good for you, Alexa?" asked Raoul. 

"That was the best I've ever had, Raoul," lied Alexa. She said that to every guy. She watched Raoul getting dressed again. She had a good view, lying down in the bed.

She didn't hear the mirror above her creak ominously.

* * *

"Hi, I'm here to see Alexa Cole?" Drew said breathlessly. "I was wondering what room she was in?" 

She had guessed that the bridal suite would be near the top, but had no idea, now that she was up here, where it was.

The maid regarded her critically. "She's busy at the moment."

"That doesn't matter!" screamed Drew. "You must realise that Alexa is about to-"

There was a loud _CRASH_. It was followed by a yell.

One of the doors burst open. A young Hispanic guy rushed out, wearing nothing more than a shirt and boxers. He ran frantically over to Drew and the maid.

"She's dead!" he yelled. "The mirror just fell on top of her! It crushed her!"

Drew felt numb. In a daze, she went over to the door, and looked in.

The bed had transformed. It was no longer white. It was now bright red instead. Shards of the mirror lay scattered around the place.

It was horrible. If Alexa hadn't been crushed under the weight of the mirror immediately, the fragments of broken glass had cut into every exposed area of skin. Since Alexa had been naked, that was an awful lot of young adult girl.

And she was undeniably dead.

* * *

"Hi, everyone. Okay, tonight, I'm going to start with a song by Nine Inch Nails. It's called _Into the Void_." Zoë cleared her throat. 

Casper took a seat. He might as well enjoy himself. After all, Drew hadn't called, so Alexa must still be alright.

Zoë began singing, in her deep, soulful voice that Casper always likened to someone who had the cold.

"Tried to save myself, but myself keeps slipping away…"

Casper's phone made him jump. Uh-oh.

Zoë didn't notice the noise, and kept singing.

"Talking to myself all the way to the station… pictures in my head of the final destination…"

That was all Casper heard before Drew screamed at him from the other end of the phone.

* * *

Drew's feet pounded along the street. Round a corner. And another. She had to get to the nightclub before something terrible happened to Zoë.

* * *

"…tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away…" sang Zoë, ending the song. There was a sudden deafening din of applause. 

Casper tried to make his way to Zoë, but people kept getting in the way.

* * *

Drew reached the door to the nightclub. "Hold on there, little lady. Let's see some identification," said the bouncer, smiling. 

Drew kicked him in the groin.

* * *

Casper reached the stage just as Drew burst in. They both ran onto the stage at the same time. 

"Drew? Casper?" said Zoë, looking at them. "What are you guys doing here?"

That was when a halogen light that had been hanging from the ceiling on two wires snapped. One of the wires did, at least. The light swung straight at Zoë's face.


	11. Reunion

**11: Reunion**

Both Drew and Casper lunged at Zoë. However, it was Zoë herself who managed to dodge it. It swung past her and hit the wall, shattering. Now only the cable was swinging.

Casper helped Zoë to a seat, as the other customers drew back. "It's okay," Casper whispered to Zoë. "You're okay. It skipped you."

"Did it, though?" said Drew.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, take Zack for example. How did Death know he would fall forwards? It must have known how Zack would react. Death expected Zoë to avoid that light. It wanted her to sit down…" Drew suddenly realised that Zoë's photo showed her sitting on a plastic seat very like the one she was on now.

The cable swung back again. It brushed against the microphone on the stage.

The wire running from the microphone to the speakers immediately went wild. The electrical charge ran all the way to the speakers.

These speakers were fenced off by a length of steel wire. This was to deter party-goers from wandering over and spilling beer on them.

The sudden burst of electricity caused the speaker to vibrate dangerously. They shook so much, the wire came out of the wall. Suddenly free, it whipped through the air.

Drew and Casper ducked. Zoë, already sitting, couldn't.

It cut straight through her stomach.

Drew and Casper looked at her. A thin red line appeared around her waist. A dark red stain spread on the sequined dress.

Zoë's upper half toppled over. So did the back of the chair.

She had been sliced in half.

It was the new topless dancing.

* * *

"Look at the photo again," said Casper. Drew did so. 

"See the line?" Casper pointed and traced his finger along the picture. There was a thin line running along Zoë's waist, in almost exactly the same place she had been cut. The line was, in fact, the edge of the table she was sitting at. From this angle, it was only a line.

Drew turned, and showed it to the others. Leo, Danny and Sam had agreed to come and meet with them in Drew's house. The five of them were the only survivors left.

Drew had spent the past hour explaining the situation to them. In light of the fact that seven of them had died, the others were willing to believe her story. She then showed them the print-outs of the photographs, the ones of the people who had died. Jerry and the gun. Seb and the window and the fire. Zack, with his arm raised, and the doors. Brett and the mattress and the spike. Alexa and the mirror. Zoë with the line across her waist.

The three of them had listened in silence. Finally, it was Sam who asked the question Drew had been dreading: "So, according to you, the order we died in your premonition is the same as the order we die now?"

Drew nodded.

"So… _who's next_?"

Casper, who had been leaning on the mantelpiece, straightened up and said, "First, you guys, remember this: Drew and I both beat it. We survived. You can too!"

"So who is it?" demanded Leo.

Drew looked at the floor. "The order we should die in is… Leo, Danny, Sam, me, and Casper last."

Everyone looked at Leo.

"Oh, that's just great," he said.

They were all silent for a moment, thinking about the events that had happened that day – chiefly, the death of Alexa and Zoë.

"Do we have any idea of how soon Death could come after me?" asked Leo.

Drew shrugged. "I don't think so. Seb died a day after Jerry. Then the day after that, Zack, Phoebe and Brett all died. And attempts were made on both me and Casper. Then four days went by. Only now, today, has anyone else died. There seems to be no set timescale."

Leo twisted his fingers aimlessly. There was clearly something he wanted to say. Eventually, he did. "You two have seen your photos…"

"It's your decision whether or not you see your own photo. You own choice," said Casper.

"I want to see mine," said Danny.

"So do I," said Sam.

Leo shrugged. "It would be better for me to look at mine, I think."

Drew nodded, and turned to the two pages she had set aside. She handed one to Leo, and the other to Danny and Sam.

"Oh," said Leo.

"Ah," said Sam.

"Right," said Danny.

* * *

Leo's photo was him posing on the front of the silver BMW at the department store. 

Danny and Sam were also posing, this time in front of a film poster. The film was _Duel_, by Steven Spielberg. It showed a huge truck racing right at you.

Right at Danny and Sam.


	12. Chain Reaction

**12: Chain Reaction**

"What we need," said Casper, "is a plan."

"What we need," said Leo, "is for me to sit here forever."

"Huh?" said Sam. "How does that work?"

"Well," Leo began, "Death can only proceed to the next on the list when the current target either dies, or is saved by someone. Therefore, as long as I go nowhere near a car for the rest of my life, you are all safe!"

"That's a brilliant plan!" said Danny excitedly.

Drew shook her head. "It's too risky. A car could come in through the window, or something. But the idea is good. That is, as long as you don't mind."

"Trust me," smiled Leo. "I work in a garage. I spend half my time working on cars. I won't be sorry to never see another one again as long as I live."

* * *

They talked about it for a while. Gradually, they formed a decent plan. They would head down to the street, to the bus stop. There, they would board a bus – theoretically not in danger from cars. They had overcome the problem of getting to the bus stop in the first place quite simply. Death wouldn't touch any of the others until Leo died. Therefore, if they stood in a circle around him, it was impossible for a car to mount the pavement and run him down. They would take the bus to the docks, where Leo would get a job working on a cruise ship. There, he would get to see the world, and be in no danger from any cars. And they would all live happily ever after. 

I don't think so, somehow.

* * *

"As long as we get you to the seaside," said Casper, "you should be okay." 

Leo smiled grimly. They were walking down the street, and must have looked like a bunch of idiots, all standing in a circle around Leo. But it had worked so far. No car had zoomed towards them.

They actually made it to the bus stop before disaster struck, although they didn't see it.

The bus stop was opposite a huge multi-storey car park.

And on the top level, a car had lost control, and was weaving about wildly.

* * *

They arrived at the bus stop. 

"You know," Sam joked, "I haven't been on the bus for a while."

Leo looked serious. "None of us have," he said. "Not since… that day."

"Alright, positions, everyone!" shouted Casper.

They arranged themselves in a much wider circle around Leo, so as not to attract attention while waiting for the bus.

* * *

The car on the top floor now lost it completely. The driver decided to abandon it, and threw herself out. 

Honestly, these women drivers…

* * *

Drew looked at the timetable, and reported to the others that the next bus would be there in two minutes. 

Unfortunately, that wasn't long enough.

* * *

The car, now driverless, zoomed straight at a parked car. 

The parked car was a silver BMW.

The other car hit it with sufficient force to send it crashing through the barrier, over the edge. It plummeted downwards.

* * *

They all heard the sound, but it was too late. 

Leo looked up.

The last thing he saw was the underside of the silver BMW rushing towards him.

He was, pardon the pun, driven into the pavement. Probably to a depth of six feet.

Danny and Sam panicked. They ran to a passing car, and Sam jerked the door open. He seized the driver, saying, "Mind if I test drive your Audi?", and hurled him onto the street.

The pair leapt in the car, and it zoomed off.

"Come back!" screamed Drew. "You're next! We need to stay together!"

She and Casper took off after the car.

Sam and Danny reached the edge of the street.

Further up the next street, a pickup truck was parked. It had a surfboard leaning in the back of it, pointing up and over where the driver would sit.

The guys zoomed across the intersection. They nearly made it.

At the last second, a car going equally fast appeared from the left and cut across them. They ran straight into it.

This began a chain reaction.

Danny and Sam's car came to a sudden halt, jolting them, but not harming them.

The other car, however, was sent skidding along the street.

Drew and Casper caught up. And Drew pulled out the photo of Sam and Danny.

She now noticed something.

Danny had a surfboard on his T-shirt, along with the words, "Surf's Up!"

The spinning car crashed into the pickup truck, banging it into the wall. This caused the surfboard to be fired along the street at high velocity.

Danny realised his head was bleeding. He glanced out the front window, and saw the surfboard flying at him.

Sam screamed as the board pierced the windscreen and carried on, ploughing through Danny's face, and ending up in the back seat.

Sam threw open the door and ran out onto the road.

"Sam!" Drew yelled at him. "You need to calm down!"

He stopped in the middle of the road. He looked at Drew and Casper.

"Listen," said Casper. "You just come with us, back to Drew's house. You're going to be alright."

Sam stood, breathing heavily, and looking at them. Finally, he said, "Okay. Sorry, you guys. You're right."

He took a step forward.

He didn't even see the truck. It hit him at a speed of seventy miles an hour.

There wasn't a lot left of Sam afterwards.


	13. New Life

**13: New Life**

Drew was running like she had never run before. Casper was chasing her, wondering where she was going. Because she was next on the list.

Drew was running away from the street where Sam had just been mown down. She ran all the way to the park.

Only then did Casper realise what she was doing. This was where she had nearly been drowned under the tree, the afternoon that Zack had died.

She was going to kill herself.

Drew ran up to the fountain, and jumped in. Casper jumped in too.

"Drew!" he shouted at her. "What are you doing!"

"We're all going to die, right? Why try and delay it?" Tears were coursing down her cheeks.

Casper shook her. "No!" he yelled. "We're going to fight, and we're going to win! This isn't where it ends!"

* * *

However, here he was wrong. 

Dead wrong.

Because this _is_ where it ends.

* * *

The power lines were well-disguised in the trees to avoid them being an eyesore to the public. 

A tractor had just reversed into one of the poles that supported them.

One of the live electric cables fell towards the fountain.

Casper saw it.

Drew saw it.

She raised her arms, and shouted, "Come on then, if you think you're hard enough!"

And Casper hit her. He actually punched her in the face.

Drew gasped, and fell backwards.

The cable hit the water.

There was a blinding flash.

Drew fell backwards…

* * *

Drew came to on a stretcher. She had fallen out of the fountain at the last second. 

Looking over at a cluster of doctors and nurses, she saw, with a sinking heart, that Casper had been less fortunate. He had still been in the water when the electric cable hit it.

He had saved Drew, rather than herself.

Drew burst into tears.

She demanded that she be taken over to Casper at once.

She was wheeled over.

A doctor was still trying to revive him, but there was no reading on the ECG machine.

Drew jumped out of the stretcher and ran over.

Casper wasn't breathing.

This shouldn't have happened. Drew had slipped out of the fountain herself, technically. Death shouldn't have claimed Casper.

The idiot should never have jumped in the fountain in the first place.

"You bastard!" she screamed at him.

She hit him as hard as she could in the chest.

The ECG sprang to life.

"He's alive," said the doctor.

Casper opened his eyes, and looked at Drew.

Drew said, "New life."

She looked at him.

He looked back at her.

They smiled.


End file.
